Mulan
Mulan is a 1998 American animated musical action-comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation based on the Chinese legend of Fa Mulan. The 36th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animation Classics, it was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. Ming-Na, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer and B. D. Wong star in the English version, while Jackie Chan provided his voice for the Chinese dubs of the film. The film's plot takes place during the Han Dynasty, where Fa Mulan, daughter of aged warrior Fa Zhou, impersonates a man to take her father's place during a general conscription to counter a Hun invasion. Released during the Disney Renaissance, Mulan was the first of three features produced primarily at the Disney animation studio at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. Development for the film began in 1994, when a number of artistic supervisors were sent to China to receive artistic and cultural inspiration. Mulan was well received by critics and the public, grossing 304 million dollars, earning Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, and winning several Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature. A 2004 direct-to-video sequel, Mulan II, followed. Plot After the Huns, led by the ruthless Shan Yu, invade Han China, the Chinese emperor begins to command a general mobilization. Each family is given a conscription notice, requiring one man from each family to join the Chinese army. When Fa Mulan hears that her elderly father Fa Zhou, the only man in their family, is once more to go to war, she becomes anxious and apprehensive. She decides to deal with this herself by disguising herself as a man so that she can go to war instead of her father. When her family learns of Mulan's departure, they all become anxious. Grandmother Fa, Mulan's grandmother, prays to the family ancestors for Mulan's safety. The ancestors then order their Great Stone Dragon to protect Mulan. The ancestors are unaware that the statue of Great Stone Dragon failed to come to life, and that Mushu, a small dragon, is the one to go and protect Mulan. Mulan is misguided by Mushu in how to behave like a man, which starts a ruckus at the training camp. However, under command of Li Shang, she and her new co-workers at the camp, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po, become skilled warriors. Mushu, desiring to see Mulan succeed, creates a fake order from Shang's father, General Li, ordering Shang to follow them into the mountains. The troops set out to meet General Li, but arrive at a burnt-out encampment and discover that General Li and his troops have all been killed by the Huns. As they solemnly leave the mountains, they are ambushed by the Huns, but Mulan cleverly uses a cannon to create an avalanche which buries most of the Huns. An enraged Shan Yu slashes her in the chest, and her deception is revealed when the wound is bandaged. Instead of executing Mulan as the law requires, Shang relents and decides to spare her life for saving him, but expels her from the army, stranding her on the mountain as the rest of the army departs for the Imperial City to report the news of the Huns' demise. However it is revealed that several Hun warriors including Shan Yu survive the avalanche, and Mulan catches sight of them as they make their way to the City, intent on capturing the Emperor. At the Imperial City, Mulan attempts to warn Shang about Shang Yu, but he refuses to listen. The Huns appear to capture the Emperor, then they lock up the palace. With Mulan's help, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po pose as concubines and are able to enter the palace and, with the help of Shang, they defeat Shan Yu's men. As Shang prevents Shan Yu from assassinating the Emperor, Mulan lures the boss Hun onto the roof where she engages him in solo combat. Meanwhile, acting on Mulan's instructions, Mushu fires a bundle of fireworks rockets at Shan Yu on her signal. The fireworks strike Shan Yu and explode, killing him. Mulan is praised by the Emperor and the people of China, who all bow to her as an unprecedented honor. While she accepts the Emperor's crest and Shan Yu's sword as gifts, she politely declines his offer to be his advisor and asks to return to her family. She returns home and presents these gifts to her father, mother and grandmother, but they are more overjoyed to have Mulan back safely. Shang, who has become enamored with Mulan, soon arrives under the guise of returning her helmet, but accepts the family's invitation for dinner. Mushu is granted a position as a Fa family guardian by the ancestors amid a returning celebration. Cast * Ming-Na Wen as Fa Mulan (sung by Lea Salonga) * Eddie Murphy as Mushu * B. D. Wong as Captain Li Shang (sung by Donny Osmond) * Miguel Ferrer as Shan Yu * June Foray as Grandmother Fa (sung by Marni Nixon) * Harvey Fierstein as Yao * Gedde Watanabe as Ling (sung by Matthew Wilder) * Jerry Tondo as Chien-Po * James Hong as Chi-Fu * Soon Tek-Oh as Fa Zhou * Pat Morita as the Emperor of China * George Takei as first Ancestor * Miriam Margolyes as the Matchmaker * Freda Foh Shen as Fa Li * James Shigeta as General Li * Frank Welker as Cri-Kee and Khan and Hayabusa the Falcon * Chris Sanders as Little Brother * Mary Kay Bergman as Female Ancestor * Mitch Carter as Lieren and Hun Army * Jack Gilpin as Bai * Patrick Pinney as Fa Deng and Parade Leader and Bao and Hun Army * Robert Clotworthy as Zhencha * John Walcutt as Sheshou * Peter Renaday as Hun Army * David Cowgill as Man in crowd and Hun Army * Julianne Buescher as Young Bride * Donald Fullilove as Hun Army * Corey Burton as Male Ancestor * Mark Moseley as Mushu's singing voice and Ancestors, * Richard Steven Horvitz as Chinese Soldiers * Elisa Gabrielli as Various Female Ancestor * Sally Dworsky as Young Bride Singing * Matthew Labyorteaux as Hun Army * Additional voices: Tom Amundsen, Arminae Austen, Susan Boyd, Steve Bulen, Beth Fowler, Sandie Hall, Linda Kerns, Conan Lee, Dana Lee, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Luisa Leschin, Christina Ma, Susan McBride, Haunani Minn, Edie Mirman, Maurita L. Thornburgh,& Claudette Wells Songs * Honor to Us All (performed by Beth Fowler, Marni Nixon, Lea Salonga and Chorus) * Reflection (performed by Lea Salonga) * I'll Make a Man Out of You (performed by Donny Osmond, Jerry Tondo, Harvey Fierstein, Matthew Wilder, Mark Moseley, Lea Salonga and Chorus) * A Girl Worth Fighting For (performed by Harvey Fierstein, James Hong, Lea Salonga, Jerry Tondo, Matthew Wilder and Chorus) * True to Your Heart (End Credits) (performed by 98 Degrees (as 98°) and Stevie Wonder) * Reflection (Pop Version) (performed by Christina Aguilera) * I'll Make a Man Out of You Reprise (performed by Donny Osmond and Chorus) International releases For information about international dubs and releases, Mulan/International. Category:1998 films Category:1990s American animated films Category:American musical films Category:Films produced by Pam Coats Category:Films directed Barry Cook Category:Films directed by Barry Cook Category:Films directed by Tony Bancroft Category:Film scores by Jerry Goldsmith Category:Disney Princess Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films Category:Walt Disney Pictures Category:Walt Disney Feature Animation Category:DVD Category:VHS Category:THX